


I Was Standing, And You Were There. Two Worlds Collided.

by Velocity_Owl87



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death Fix, Friends to Lovers, Genderswap, Grief/Mourning, Hospitalization, Implied Relationships, Military Families, Minor Character Death, Missing Scene, Multi, Older Man/Younger Woman, One Night Stands, Serious Injuries, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-15 00:53:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1285174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/pseuds/Velocity_Owl87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jazmine and Raleigh Becket were among one of the best Jaeger Pilot teams. Until they came head to head with Knifehead and killed it. But not without paying the ultimate price. Now, Raleigh is adamantly refusing to become a pilot or let her little brother be one before he is ready. </p><p>Marshall Pentecost and Ranger Hansen know the program is in trouble, with possible funding being cut and the loss of an experienced pilot leaving them hurting. The Marshall and Ranger Hansen decide to offer a training position to Raleigh in order to keep the Beckets inside the PPDC.</p><p>Ranger Hansen facilitated the plan and expected to fade back into the chain of command and his own Jaeger. He never expected for his contact with Raleigh to move into the realm of friends and eventually, lovers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Was Standing, And You Were There. Two Worlds Collided.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a genderswap big bang that I couldn't participate in since I was in Europe at the time. I decided to post it up anyway, since I had been toying with this concept for awhile: the genderswap, Yancy and Jazmine switching places and ages and Raleigh remaining with the PPDC, but in a different role. 
> 
> Chuck and Mako also appear and for some reason, Scott Hansen also gets mentioned, since this is taking place a bit before the real action starts in the movie and he is still part of the PPDC and Lucky Seven is still around. 
> 
> Yancy, Mako and Chuck are roughly the same age and in the Academy, with Mako being the oldest, Chuck in the middle and Yancy at the end. 
> 
> It has been proofed and edited, but if there are mistakes, my apologies. 
> 
> Title is from the INXS song.

Yancy jerked awake after the flashlight shone on his face, his heart thudding painfully in his chest as he sat up and looked at his instructor, who was standing there with the flashlight and looking pretty grim. Yancy swallowed and tried to keep calm, despite knowing that there were only two reasons why he was being woken up in the middle of damned o’clock. Either Jaz or Raleigh or both had gotten injured or-

He cut that thought off sharply before standing up and grabbing his clothes to dress as fast as he could with sleep clumsy fingers and hands. He had seen enough of his fellow cadets get pulled out at any hour of the day and had seen them return red-eyed and silent as they grabbed their essentials and left. Some came back, fiercely determined to avenge those they had lost. Some just never returned.

He had been lucky. His parents had died a long time ago and Jaz and Raleigh had had the devil’s own luck in surviving for as long as they had. But their luck had run out now and it was all he could do to keep his mind from picturing the worst case scenarios, even though it was fairly obvious that there wasn’t going to be any great news if they were pulling him out in the middle of the night.

“You ready, Becket?”

His mouth went dry, but he nodded determinedly. He was a Becket after all. If his sisters could get into a Jaeger and kill Kaiju, he could most definitely face this summons.

“Allright. Let’s get going.”

They walked in silence down the hall, past the dormitories, the classrooms and the gym. They went down to the first floor and he was ushered into the office of the head officer. Yancy had to swallow hard when he saw Marshall Pentecost and a tall, red-haired soldier in dress blues that Yancy was sure was one of the Lucky Seven Hansens. His usual awe at being so close to two of the most decorated and famous Jaeger pilots was instantly extinguished when Marshall Pentecost and Ranger Hansen turned to acknowledge him. Their faces were impassive, but he was sure that he saw emotions flitter in the dark blue eyes of Ranger Hansen when the Marshall solemnly handed over the PPDC flag.

Yancy’s eyes watered, but he still numbly took the flag and clutched it to his chest. He took a deep breath and held back the sobs that were threatening to escape. His sternum felt like it was cracked and his heart throbbed sluggishly, each beat sending waves of agony through his body.

His ragged breathing was the only sound in the room and Yancy was sure he was going to start bawling at any moment. At least until he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up into the quietly sympathetic face of Ranger Hansen. He didn’t say anything, but he squeezed Yancy’s shoulder. It was that touch that gave Yancy the time to put himself together and ask the question that he was afraid of hearing the answer to.

But he had to know.

“Are they...are they both gone?”

Ranger Hansen shook his head.

“Raleigh made it. She took a beating, but she’s still alive. Jazmine was lost at sea.”

The Marshall replied.

“She got Gipsy to the shore by herself. Your sisters are something else and I’m sorry for your loss.”

Yancy nodded and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. It wasn’t what he had wanted to hear, that his oldest sister, the one that had practically raised them was dead. Jaz, with her calmness and calculations that got them out of so many messes. The one that he and Raleigh looked up. The one that was more of a mother to them than the woman that gave birth to them had ever been. Their Jaz was gone.

“Can I see Raleigh then?”

Hansen nodded as he took his hand off of Yancy’s shoulder.

“That is why we are here, to take you to her.”

Yancy nodded and clutched the flag tighter. That was all he had of Jaz now. That and Raleigh’s pictures. It didn’t do anything to ease the hole in his chest.

~*~*~*~*~

“We need an instructor if we’re going to cut down casualties and not lose the funding. We’ve just lost another Jaeger and two pilots, Stacker. Do you have any suggestions?” Hercules Hansen asked his superior as they shuffled through the files piled on the meeting table. Herc frowned as he watched Stacker shuffle through several piles before pulling out one battered file.

“Raleigh Becket.” Stacker slid the file towards Herc, making him raise an eyebrow as he looked down at the folder. He flipped through it and looked down at the picture of Raleigh with her hair pulled away from her face and her expression serious as she faced the camera. She had been only eighteen and looked impossibly young. Not at all like the twenty one year old he had seen in the hospital after Knifehead had been taken down.

Herc winced. It hadn’t been a good day. Raleigh had been in shock and badly injured and had only uttered the name of her brother the whole time she had been found and admitted to medical. He still hated that he was able to remember all too well how hard it had been to tell a sixteen year old boy that the woman that had been his mother for all intents and purposes was dead. He still couldn’t shake off how much the hopeless blankness of Raleigh’s eyes as he had told her Yancy was coming to see her affected him. She hadn’t been comatose or catatonic, but she had been close. Only Yancy had kept her sane and from slipping inside of herself while she searched her mind for Jaz’s ghost.

He understood that kind of grief. He had felt it when Angela had died and he was left only with Chuck, who didn't understand for a long time why his beloved mother was taken away. It had taken him years to fully explain and grieve along with his son. But he had made his mistakes. He hoped that Raleigh and Yancy didn't fall into those same ones. Or make worse ones.

He had had the PPDC to get him through it. There had been a goal. He sincerely doubted that would help the Becketts, considering that their oldest sister had just died killing a Kaiju. He doubted that Raleigh would want to be a pilot still. Nor did he think that even if Yancy was ready that she'd let him either.

“She’d not be a pilot. Just an instructor. We have enough cadets coming up and you know once she recovers from the shock, she will run. Funding or not, she’s done something no other pilot other than you has done. She will run and take Yancy with her. We need her expertise. We need Yancy as a pilot. He’s a natural at it. We can’t afford to lose him.”

It was sound logic and Herc had to wonder how much of what he was thinking showed on his face as he read the file. They had worked together long enough to guess at what the other was thinking. But still. He didn't like that he had been so transparent. Especially when it came to the Becket family. He didn't know why they had gotten his attention.

Herc had known of them in passing, like all the Rangers knew of each other. Scott had often pointed them out and Herc had his suspicions about him possibly bedding Jazmine after one of the drops. She hadn't stuck around and Raleigh had given only the barest of greetings, clearly following her sister's lead. He hadn't really thought about them much, since his area was the Southern Pacific and it was the Alaskan battle and the issues with funding that had put him back in the same vicinity as the Beckets.

And after meeting with Yancy, who was only a few months younger than Chuck and seeing a grieving Raleigh that he felt somewhat responsible for them. Yancy's usefulness as a potential pilot and being his sister's touchstone aside, he suspected that if he was around, maybe Chuck and Mako could have someone else that would keep them from withdrawing. It was possible that it wasn't going to happen, but he could see signs of it in Chuck. Yancy had had normalcy before the PPDC came calling for his sisters. Chuck could use some of that.

Herc nodded and rubbed his face as he mulled it over. Although cruel, he had to make the call. They needed an instructor with field experience and Becket, despite her misfortune, was the best choice for the post at that point in time. Barring the injuries that she had incurred in the Knifehead attack, she was one of the best Rangers. Only her sister Jazmine had been her nearest match in rank. They had a war to fight and they needed the best weapons at their disposal if they were to keep their funding and finally find a way to close the drift.

“It’s your call. Time and money are running out. She may be the one to keep us from losing this war.”

Stacker nodded. “I’m betting on it.”

~*~*~*~*~

_Jaz had just thrown on her jacket when Raleigh finished with her hair and followed suit._

“ _Just cut your damned hair already, Raleigh! We’re going to be late for the drop!” Jaz shouted at her as she impatiently waited for Raleigh to pull on her boots and jacket. The same one that Jaz was wearing: long, sheepskin lined leather and with the name of their girl painted on the back._

“ _Fuck that. I like my hair, thanks.” Raleigh shot back, tucking the end of her braid under the collar of her jacket and following her older sister out. Jaz snorted, making her messy hair fall into her face, which she swept back, making it stick out all over the place and bringing to mind long nights of no sleep and tawdry sex. Something that Raleigh was more than ninety percent sure had happened when they had to do co-operative drops with non married teams. She was still trying to suppress the memory of what happened after the Philippines drop with Lucky Seven._

“ _Suit yourself. Let’s get going.” Jaz had replied as they made their way down to get into their girl Gipsy._

_It was the same as always: The Handshake, the Drift, the easy banter with Tendo and the Marshall’s deep voice giving them the intel and the go ahead._

_Jaz had looked at Raleigh and had grinned after they had saved the fishing vessel and pounded Knifehead into the ocean. They had completed their mission and Jaz was brimming with the satisfaction of a job well done. And then her eyes widened with horror as Gipsy was torn apart and Jaz…_

_Jaz was gone._

_She couldn’t even sense the last bit of her anymore. She was gone._

_And Raleigh desperately wanted to follow her down. She couldn’t face life without Jaz to guide her. All her life, Jaz had always been there to show her the ropes and Raleigh knew that she wasn’t going to be able to survive alone._

“ _JAZ! JAZ!” She screamed out and reached for her sister, even though she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jaz was gone. She wanted to follow her. Had to follow her. There was nothing more for her._

“ _Rawls?”_

_Her eyes widened when she heard the voice. It was quiet and timid and almost a whisper, but she still heard it loud and clear throughout the darkness and despair that was threatening to swallow her whole._

_She blinked and let her hand drop as she listened for it to sound out again._

“ _Raleigh? Come on. Raleigh, wake up. Come on. I know you can hear me. Rawls, please.”_

_Yancy._

_How could she forget that Yancy was still alive? That he needed her still? She couldn’t believe how selfish and stupid she had been to forget her little brother would be all alone without not just Jaz, but her also._

_Yancy was only sixteen. She couldn’t leave him alone to face the war alone. She couldn’t lose him too._

_It was that realization, like the cold that had seeped into her bones when she had finally gotten Gipsy to shore that gave her the determination to let Jaz go._

“ _Yancy! Hang on! Yancy, I’m coming!”_

Raleigh came awake with a jerk that brought a moan of pain to her lips. Despite desperately forcing herself to remain quiet, she knew that the nurses had heard it. Already, there was Mary coming to check on her and make sure that no stitches or her lines had been pulled out. She had already done it twice in the week and it hadn’t been fun getting them put back in.

“All right there, Raleigh?” Mary asked as she turned on the light, making Raleigh wince and turn her head away. Despite being in medical for almost a month and repeating the patterns over and over again, the light was always a harsh surprise and an equally brutal reminder of how badly her life had changed trajectory.

“Just...Just a nightmare.” Raleigh finally replied when her eyes had finally gotten used to the light. She saw Mary frown and make a note in her chart before looking at the bags hanging from her IV pole. She made another note before she turned out the lights again.

“Well, you didn’t pull your stitches or lines. You’re still good on your meds, so try and get some sleep if you can.” Mary told her, exiting before Raleigh could make a reply.

Raleigh snorted and shifted a bit in the bed, her left side a bit stiff still, but moving again. It was pointless to tell her to get more sleep. They both knew that she’d just lay there, waiting for the hours to slide on by until the morning and visiting hours would begin.

But for once, it wasn’t the same hopeless dread that weighed her down as it had in the first couple of weeks after she had woken up to find Yancy sleeping in a chair next to her bed with tear tracks shining on his cheeks and the PPDC flag clutched to his chest. The sight of him had nearly made her want to break down and burst into tears at the fresh reminder of Jaz’s death. She had forced herself to smile and to answer his questions even though she could only manage monosyllabic replied as she held onto Jaz’s spectre in her head.

She cursed herself for being so nearsighted and so wrapped up in her own issues. Yancy was still there, looking to her to put things right. It was just like they had done to Jaz when their father had left and their mother had died. And not once did Jaz falter.

It was the memory of her sister’s grim determination that forced her to finally shake off the last shades of self-absorbing grief and actually start to take notice of the world around her and of Yancy.

Especially Yancy.

~*~*~*~*~

Yancy felt the sigh building up in his chest when he saw his sister lying listless in her bed. He really hoped that after the weeks of being in the hospital, barely taking notice of anything not in front of her that she’d finally come back to him. If not to the Rangers, but to him. He was her _brother_ and he missed her. Maybe even more than he could miss Jaz, if that was possible.

But when he came closer, he saw that despite the unhealthy pallor of her face, her eyes weren’t a dull, faded blue as before and her hair was clean.

If it wasn’t for the small scars on the left side of her face and the long hair, he would have sworn that it was Jaz looking at him. It was then that he realized how much alike they looked and how much he was going to miss not seeing Jaz’s crooked smirk and hearing her voice as she teased him before ruffling his hair and putting him in a headlock.

He forced himself to push down his grief as he entered the room and pulled up the chair that had become his during the weeks that he had become a regular visitor. Even though Raleigh had been concerned about him missing his training, he had still insisted on showing up and being with his sister. She was the only family he had left. He wasn’t going to desert her and he was sure that the war would last long enough for him to play catch up and become a Ranger later.

“How are you doing?”

He hated to ask, but he still forced himself to do it so that Raleigh would at least talk. She had been scarily silent in the last little while and it was worrying not just him, but also Ranger Hansen. Yancy had been surprised that Hansen had come by to see his sister. He had a feeling that it wasn’t protocol unless the PPDC wasn’t done with their soldiers and despite his sister’s condition, he was sure she wasn’t either. But she needed the time and the space to get back onto her feet after being knocked down so hard on her knees.

“Not as bad as before. But not great. It’s...hard. Harder than with mom or dad being gone..”

Raleigh replied, making Yancy sit up and take notice at the change in her voice and manners. It wasn’t quite old Raleigh. He doubted he would ever get that from her. But it was more than he had gotten ever since he had hoarsely begged her to not leave him alone.

It had also been the most that Raleigh had ever said about how she felt about Jaz and he was torn between regretting that he had even asked and relieved at seeing some emotion other than despair from her. But it was better than indifference and he took it. So he reached over and loosely clasped her hand in his. She didn’t quite smile when he did that, but she looked more like she used to before the battle.

She had grown to need physical contact more as the weeks had passed and he didn’t mind giving it to her. Ranger Hansen had explained that it was a side effect of Raleigh’s mind still searching out Jaz’s, she needed touch to stay grounded and know what was real or not.

He had also assured Yancy that it was a good thing she was going that. It meant that she hadn’t given up just yet. She was still with them and the more she interacted, the more it meant she would come back.

Yancy hadn’t believed it before, since he saw no real proof of it really happening. He was sure that it was just more platitudes to make him feel better about having what was left of his family smashed to bits. But now, he was willing to admit that it was happening and he wasn’t going to be left facing everything on his own.

She shifted and gripped his hand tighter and swallowed hard as her eyes focused inward, as if she was making an internal decision as to what she was going to say next.

“She’s starting to fade from me, Yance. The feeling of her in my head...It’s gone. She’s finally gone from me and I wanted to follow her so damned badly. She’s been in my head so long that I didn’t think I’d be able to keep living without her.” Raleigh admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke the words.

Yancy bit his lip and instead, reached over and pulled his sister into his arms and held her. Words failed him at that moment and he didn’t want to show her how much it hurt to know that he didn’t know how that intimacy would have felt like. Nor did he know how to admit that he was scared of losing both of them at the same time. He was sure he would, with how Raleigh was sinking deeper and deeper into grief and he would have to bury her as well.

But at least, he had comforted himself, at least he would be able to say goodbye to Raleigh.

He hadn’t gotten the chance to say goodbye to Jaz.

Raleigh swore softly when she noticed the shudders going through his body as he finally let all of his tightly reigned fears and worries loose now that he had his sister back.

Finally.

“Shit. I’m sorry, Yance. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. I’m sorry. It’s not fair for you to have to do this for so damned long. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s not going to happen again. I promise. I’m so sorry.” Raleigh apologized, sitting up and pulling her brother in for a hug.

Yancy let her, despite the fact that she hadn’t initiated hugs until then. It wasn’t until she had wrapped her arms around him that he felt the sorrow and the relief that came with it all. It was as if once he had gotten the go ahead, he could collapse in her arms and let her take care of everything just like she was always supposed to.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She kept on whispering this over and over again, rocking him despite the pain, letting him cry out his grief until the nurses came to give her meds.

~*~*~*~*

Raleigh had just finished snapping the hair tie on the end of her braid and was reaching for the sweater when she heard the light rapping at the door. Turning around, she nodded to Herc Hansen and finished pulling the article of clothing over her head.

Herc watched her do this and noted the scars on her left side that were quickly covered by the thick fabric of her jumper. He had his own share of scars, but not as bad as the ones she had. She really had gotten a raw deal.

“What can I do for you, Hansen?” She asked, pulling her braid out from the neck of her sweater before crossing her arms in front of her chest. She had a hint about what he was aiming at, but she wanted it confirmed before she made any moves.

She hadn’t any idea what she was going to do now that she had gotten back on her feet and Yancy was back at the Academy. She knew for sure she wouldn’t get back into a Jaeger. Other than that, she had limited options and she was sure that Hansen was there to pull her back into being a Ranger. Despite knowing this, she would give him the benefit of giving her the offer before turning him down and taking off.

“I’m assuming that you’re here to ask about my intentions now that I’ve been given the medical all clear, since Yancy’s back at school.”

Herc grinned at the bluntness of her question. He was glad that he didn’t have to tiptoe around her to lay out his proposal.

“So what are your intentions? Gipsy can be salvaged if you’re-”

“I’m not. And I won’t be again.” Raleigh cut in sharply, her eyes going a flat and icy blue as she spoke. She looked away from him, sunk into her own thoughts as she stared at a spot on the wall. Hansen followed her gaze to the picture he had seen Yancy tack up when she had still been pretty out of it.

It was a snapshot of her and her sister, both grinning at the camera. Raleigh had her arm around Jazmine and both looked so elated and alive, he was willing to bet it had been taken after one of their early kills. It had been a picture that was more edged and worn looking than the rest Yancy had pinned up and he was positive it had been the one thing that had kept Jaz firmly entrenched in the minds of the siblings.

They all had one picture like that.

“I was in her head when she died. Nothing we learn here gets you prepared to feel someone die while they’re in your head. All that remains is a ghost and I wanted so badly to join her to break the silence of her in my head. I’m not doing it again. And I most definitely won’t do it with Yancy.”

She turned her gaze back to him and he was surprised at the steeliness he could see in the depths of her eyes.

“He’s all I have left. I’m not going to sacrifice him a minute sooner than I have to.”

He flinched inwardly then. He knew he would be facing making that choice with Chuck soon. Even though his son was proving more than capable, it wasn’t something that he was looking forward to doing. He was all he had also.

“So if being a Ranger is not an option, how would feel about being an instructor?”

Raleigh raised an eyebrow and her stance relaxed slightly as she waited for him to continue.

“At the Academy?”

Herc nodded.

Raleigh bit her upper lip as she considered it. She was qualified. She had five kills under her belt and knew she could share more practical knowledge and techniques that would help save lives in combat. Not to mention being a steady paycheque and a chance to be closer to her little brother; something she hadn’t been able to do ever since she and Jaz had become rangers and she had dropped him off at the Academy.

She also knew how good of a PR move it was to have her be at the Academy as an instructor. Not only would it mollify the critics of the program, but also make the populace feel that their sacrifices and resources weren’t being used in vain.

It was a good move all around and she had to admit that she’d be an idiot to not take it.

“Fine. When do you want me to start?”

~*~*~*~*~*

“Wake up Yance! Yance!”

Yancy cracked his eyes open to blearily glare at Raleigh, cursing the fact that they had to share quarters because they were family. He had completely forgotten what a pain in the ass she could be in the mornings. Particularly when he hadn’t even reached full wakefulness until at least noon. It was a mystery how he managed to survive training and still come out on top.

“Shut up, Raleigh. I don’t have to be up until eight.”

He was about to roll away when Raleigh slapped him, making him sit up to bat her hands away.

“If you’re going to be at the Kwoon, then you’re going to be up now.”

Yancy frowned as he slid down to the floor to check his schedule and swore softly when he saw that the time had been scratched out and penned in with red ink in Raleigh’s messy scrawl to half an hour earlier.

“What the hell? Why did you change my schedule?”

Raleigh grinned as she pulled on a long sleeved thermal top over her bra and tank top. She would take it off later, but she hated to have to expose the scars to the entire Academy when it wasn’t necessary. They weren’t as noticeable as they had been the first month. They were circuitry burns and stood out, looking less raw and painful than they had when he had first seen them at the hospital. She kept them hidden as much as possible ever since they had come to the Shatterdome and Academy. He didn't see why, since they all knew injuries and scars were common, but he understood it had to do with Jaz, so he let her be.

“Because, little brother, I’m going to wipe the floor with you at the Kwoon today.”

Yancy only blinked at her as she pulled her socks and boots on, alternating between chugging orange juice straight from the bottle and snickering at his expression.

“Are you fucking--”

“Suck it up, baby brother. You want to be a Ranger, you’re going to make sacrifices. So get in the shower and prepare to get your ass handed over to you.”

Yancy flipped her off as he went into the bathroom, making Raleigh cackle like the horrible witch she truly was.

He couldn’t stay mad at her though. She was a good instructor, he’d heard that much from Mako and other cadets. She had five kills under her belt. She had been on the field and had dealt with realities rather than theories. She knew her stuff.

But waking up earlier than he had planned for still sucked.

He just hoped that he wasn’t going to get too humiliated by her at the Kwoon.

~*~*~*~*~

Raleigh smirked at him briefly as she got him pinned down with the staff digging in the soft part of his chin. He debated the wisdom of coming at her again, but discarded the ideas as fast it come when she jabbed his neck again. Not roughly, but with enough intent to remind him that she meant business.

She was good and she knew her stuff. She had shown it yet again that session.

Yancy just had to force himself to remember that when he finally gave her the nod and she backed off, holding out a hand that he took to get back onto his feet. It had been a good fight, despite getting his ass whipped hard and fast.

“Did you just get your arse kicked by your sister, Yance?”

Chuck Hansen crowed out, his accent so thick that Yancy had a hard time figuring out exactly what insult he was supposed to be smarting over.

“It’s not like you could take her down. She got Knifehead after all.” Someone who had gotten the same treatment earlier shouted out.

Chuck snorted and Yancy forced himself to just ignore him and concentrate on getting his head back in the game for what was probably going to be another beating at the hands of his sister. This was his second practice bout with her before she moved on and he had to make it count. Listening to Chuck Hansen wasn’t going to help in that.

“Yeah, and we all know how well that turned out.” Chuck returned.

The chattering among the other cadets stopped abruptly and Yancy felt his face drain of heat and then feel like he had just gotten a bucket of ice water thrown into his face as he registered what Chuck had just alluded to.

Picking on him, ragging on him was one thing. He could handle that, laugh it off and tell Chuck to fuck off while he was at it. But when it came to picking on Raleigh or even alluding shit about Jaz…

He didn’t know when he rushed Chuck, only that he was held back from punching the smug little shit. He turned to get loose, but instantly changed his mind when he met Raleigh’s dark blue gaze. There was something dangerous in the depths of her eyes that again brought Jaz to mind and took the fight completely out of him.

Jaz used to look that way at them whenever they had gotten into a stupid argument or a fight at school. It wasn’t a look that he or Raleigh saw on their sister’s face often, but when they did, shit was going to go down.

“Take a break, Yancy. I can always kick your ass later.” Raleigh suggested, her voice mild, but her eyes looking as dark and scary as all out and she was past channelling Jaz now. She was furious, but she wasn’t going to let it show. At least not yet.

He swallowed hard and walked away, realizing all too late that he had unwittingly undermined his sister in her own domain.

She was an adult. She had been putting assholes in their place longer than he could remember. He should have backed away, not let Chuck needle him. But the wound, despite healing, was still fresh enough to hurt when poked.

She turned to look at Chuck and handed him one of the staves. He took it, but his expression faltered for a split second before going back to its usual smugness.

“Mr. Hansen, if you’d be so kind to humour me and put your money where your mouth is?” Raleigh asked, her voice still pleasant to anyone that didn’t know her. But Yancy knew her and he could hear the sharpness in the mild tones.

Chuck must have also picked up on it, but he was proud and knew that there was no way to back out from the challenge he was being issued.

“Gladly.” He replied as he received it and made a few practice moves as he and Raleigh got on the mat, leaving the rest of the class and Yancy to watch and see if Chuck had met his match or if he could take down Raleigh. He was one of the best fighters, other than Yancy and Mako. But this was Raleigh Becket. She had put Mako in her place in less than eight moves and had nailed Yancy in six. It was probably the most anticipated match in the class and it was happening sooner than anyone had expected.

“Ready?” She asked, taking her place. Chuck scowled and nodded.

“Yancy, can you keep score for us?” Raleigh asked. Yancy nodded and moved back to have a better vantage point. Once he had it, he nodded to both of them and signalled the match start.

“Go.”

He had known that Raleigh was fast. He had been on the receiving end of her blows earlier, but he couldn’t appreciate it until he saw her come at Chuck non-stop in a flurry of blows, bringing him down to his knee with her staff arcing down to his forehead. Chuck’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared.

“Point.”

Raleigh pulled away, her hands spinning her staff rapidly as she went back to her position and waited for Chuck to get back to his feet. He did it fast and Yancy could see the easy arrogance wiped out as he moved back and got into his stance. He was finally taking it seriously.

Yancy saw how that first point had affected Chuck when he made his move. Chuck ducked under the arc of Raleigh’s staff and swept her feet out from under her. He expected to follow through easily and made the blow, but he didn’t count on Raleigh dodging it as she got to her knees and knocked her staff against his left knee, making him also drop. He reacted fast and smacked her left side, making her drop the staff.

“Point.”

Although everyone was expecting Chuck to brag about that hit, he remained quiet, his green eyes narrowed as he studied Raleigh and tried to figure out what would be the best attack he could make. Yancy actually was glad that he wasn’t facing off against Chuck at that moment. He looked like he was bound and determined to draw blood whenever he got the opening. He also looked, for once, capable of what his test scores said he was able to do. Despite himself, Yancy was gaining a grudging respect towards his fellow cadet.

Raleigh noticed the grimness and adjusted accordingly, letting Chuck be the one to take the first attack. Which he did in series of blows too damned fast for even Yancy to follow. All he could see was the blurring arcs of the dull orange staff and Raleigh jumping back and parrying with efficient brutality, her mouth a thin white line as she made the last swing and cracked the staff in half, leaving Chuck holding the splintered ends while the end smacked him in the shoulder, breaking his collarbone with a sickening crack that reverberated across the Kwoon.

Everyone was completely still and silent as they watched Raleigh throw her staff down and run to Chuck, who had collapsed to his knees, his mouth gaping open and his face a dead white as the shock of being injured.

“Luu, go get the Medics! Santiago, you’re in charge of lining everyone up. Yancy, grab his sweater and coat. We don’t want him going into shock.”

Yancy only took a second to follow the instructions and grabbed Chuck’s clothing from the oddly neat pile that Chuck always kept his belongings in whenever they were at the Kwoon. He shook them out and tucked them around Chuck, who had his arm folded across his chest and had his eyes half-closed and his lower lip trapped between his teeth as he rode through the pain. His head, Yancy noted, was resting on his sister’s lap and she was gently stroking his clammy forehead and pushing his hair away from his face, murmuring something to keep him grounded.

“Anything else?” Yancy whispered, feeling uneasy at the sight of his sister comforting Chuck. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it bothered him to see Raleigh put in the extra effort to comfort Chuck despite all the shit he had talked about her and Jaz earlier. He felt as if he was seeing something he wasn’t supposed to, this sudden flash of maternalism towards Chuck Hansen. It unnerved him in ways he couldn’t articulate and he was desperately hoping he could escape so that he’d be able to finish examining his insides without a near shocky Chuck lying between them.

Raleigh shook her head, her lip red and blood blistered from biting down hard on it.

She opened her mouth to speak and was interrupted by the arrival of the medics. They pushed her and Yancy away as they quickly got to work on Chuck, leaving the siblings to watch as they stabilized him, put him on a stretcher and took him away.

Raleigh didn’t say anything, but covered her mouth with her hand. It is only a few moments later that Yancy noticed she was shaking and he moved towards her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for a half-hug.

They stood like that for a few more minutes before he heard her take a in a deep breath and release it.

“You good?” He asked her quietly. Raleigh nodded.

“Yeah. I’m good. Yeah.”

She shook her head and smiled at him wryly.

“So much for making this memorable. This wasn’t quite what I expected to do to make it that way.”

Yancy barked out a laugh at that.

“You always did have that luck, Rals.”

She grimaced, but at least she didn’t look like she was going to lose her lunch anytime soon. Which had been his aim all along.

He just hoped that she wasn’t going to get disciplined for Chuck’s injury.

It must have shown on his face what he was worried about, because she reached out and ruffled his hair, eliciting an angry squawk from him.

“Stop worrying. It was an accident. It happens. Now get to class, yeah?”

He smiled at her, and nodded.

“Okay. See you at dinner. Behave.”

~*~*~*~*~*

Raleigh was at her desk, filling out an incident report when someone knocked on the door. She looked up and frowned. Why would anyone be looking for her? She was free until the evening sessions.

That break was something she was extremely grateful for. Especially today, of all days.

Although it had been understood that it had been a training accident, it still hadn't stopped her superiors from bawling her out and admonishing her to be even more vigilant with her charges. She also had the dubious honour of getting her probation extended to two more weeks and a shitload of paperwork to fill out along with that probation. She was also expected, from that day forward, to keep three hours of her schedule free for a month. When she asked, she was simply told that it was for “Tutoring Purposes” and dismissed.

Raleigh had acquiesced with very little fight, knowing full well she had gotten lucky. She hadn't meant to break the Hansen kid's collarbone. It had just happened and she had felt terrible about, going farther to comfort him and get him to not go into shock. She knew it had been a bit too much when Yancy had looked at her with an undecipherable expression.

“Fuck.” She muttered, scrubbing her face roughly with her hands. She would have to talk to him and explain. It had just been the heat of the moment that had made it seem more extreme. She had just put the guy on the injury list. She at least owed Hansen a bit of time and some compassion.

And she was damned sure that it had nothing to do with guilt over how much Herc Hansen had done for them either and how she had injured his son in repayment. Or at least she had tried to convince herself that wasn't the case and would have loved to tell Yancy that to dispel the weird thoughts he was probably having about her and Chuck Hansen. But Yancy had disappeared and she had to go meet her superiors (of which Herc Hansen hadn't been one, thank God) and fill out paperwork until her vision went blurry and her hand hurt.

Another insistent knock pushed the thoughts out of her head. She put the paperwork away and went to the door, wrenching it open and nearly falling on her ass when she saw who it was that was standing in the hallway.

“You going to let me in or are you going to let an injured student stand outside?”

Chuck Hansen bit out, his words slightly slurred by the painkillers he was no doubt taking for the pain. Although collarbones weren't a horrifically serious injury, it was still a break and breaks hurt. She was actually quite surprised that he had even made it to her and Yancy's room under his own steam.

She also had to wonder why he had done. Also, how he had done it. Raleigh wasn't quite sure if it could be classified as an escape, but she was quite sure that him being out and about and looking for her was against the rules and she was betting people would be looking for him. Probably even Ranger Hansen.

“Sorry. Come in. Uh...” Raleigh looked around and cringed when she saw that she was sitting on the only chair that didn't have Yancy's or her clothes draped all over it. “Uh...you can sit on the chair. Sorry, we're not really up on housekeeping this week.” Raleigh stuttered out, clearly flustered as the Hansen boy stepped inside and walked past her. She bit her lip and shoved at the door to engage the mechanism and leave it open.

Although she hated the idea of anyone walking by and hearing their conversation, she was sick of being reprimanded. Besides, she was damned well aware why that protocol was in place. Nothing had happened to her or Jaz, but she had heard enough rumours to know improper things happened between cadets and instructors. She stood up and waved him deeper inside. She waited as he looked around before he took the chair and sank down gratefully onto it.

Raleigh sat down on the other chair covered in clothes and they both sat there in silence that was slowly growing hellishly uncomfortable and awkward as they stared at each other. Raleigh finally had had enough of it and broke the silence.

“Not to be rude, Hansen, but why are you here? You're hurt, you're stoned on meds and if you want an apology-”

“I'm here to apologize, actually.” Hansen interrupted her icily.

Raleigh's mouth snapped shut and she sat back in her chair, clearly surprised at how the events had turned out. She knew of the Hansen boy only by reputation, since he seemed to be part of the triad that consistently battled it out for the top rank in simulator scores, tests and fighting prowess. Yancy and Mako were the other two. She was also fully aware that her brother despised Hansen and would have laid an ass kicking on him if she hadn't stopped him that morning.

Out of everything she had heard about him, apologizing was the last thing she had expected of him. Especially considering that she had hurt _him_ , rather than the other way around.

“I was out of line. Way out of line. Even for me. And I guess I probably deserved to get my ass kicked.”

Raleigh snorted at that. Although he hadn't outright said he was sorry, she was sure that was as close to an apology that she was going to get from Chuck. The fact that he had actually made the effort, despite being in pain and needing to sleep it off, spoke volumes for his integrity. And his youth.

“Yeah, well...it's forgiven. I did after all break your collarbone. I'd say that makes us even. How many weeks are you out for?”

Hansen brought his shoulders up to shrug, but stopped himself at the last minute as a bolt of pain shot through him and made him sit still instead, his face a scowling mask of frustration and agony.

“Four weeks, give or take. It was a clean break, at least.”

He smiled a crooked smile that made Raleigh swallow hard. When he wasn't scowling, he wasn't a bad looking kid and she had to wonder if she was looking at what Herc Hansen must have been like twenty years before, give or take a few. It also made him look younger and more vulnerable and she found herself struggling with guilt and the desire to feed him hot chocolate and make him take a nap.

“So do you know what you're going to be doing if you can't be in the Kwoon?” Raleigh asked, feeling slightly off-kilter and needing to break the silence that had fallen between them. It wasn't a bad silence, but Raleigh was too on edge to appreciate that. Chuck looked up at her and smiled crookedly, his eyes heavy-lidded and making him look as if he was giving her a come-hither look when she was well aware it was only the drugs giving him that expression.

“Being tutored by you. Didn't they tell you?” He drawled out, his accent thick and making the words almost nigh unintelligible. Raleigh closed her eyes and counted to ten. Mother-

“Not in so many words. No. So when are we going to start?” She asked him, opening her eyes to take in the sight of a completely passed out Chuck as her answer.

“Oh for fuck's-” She was cut off by the sight of both a worried looking Yancy and Mako Mori rushing by and just coming to a stop when they caught a glimpse of Chuck and Raleigh.

“What the hell is he doing here? His dad's been looking for him for ages!” Yancy exclaimed, while Mako ran over to Chuck and hurriedly looked him over.

Raleigh only shook her head and stifled a scream. She would be quite glad when this godforsaken day would end. Very glad.

~*~*~*~*

“I'm just glad he's safe.” The Elder Hansen told Raleigh as they sat across from each other in his office, both nursing bottles of dark lager as they talked over the day's events.

After Yancy had gotten Chuck back to the Medical Wing, Mako had fetched Herc Hansen and he had appeared in time to see his son being half-dragged in by an annoyed Yancy. Herc had then invited a frazzled Raleigh to his office to talk, have a drink and calm herself down. He knew that she really didn't have any privacy in her shared quarters, knowing that all too well from sharing quarters with Scott and also with Chuck when he was on leave. It had been an eventful day and even though he knew that Raleigh wasn't loquacious, she had accepted his offer with alacrity and it had worked out fine.

The hour had passed without any awkwardness and Herc was surprised at the mordant humour that Raleigh displayed. Even at her own expense. But she was still on edge about the Chuck situation and even though he had done his best to reassure her, he could see that the message wasn't getting through completely.

“I'm actually not surprised that he did what he did and I do apologize that he disturbed you. It won't happen again. But he's mulish and when he gets an idea in his head, you might as well tell the wind to turn back.” Herc explained, making Raleigh nod as she took a long gulp of her beer.

“Yeah, I lived with Jaz and now Yancy. I know how that is, but I honestly can't afford surprises like that. Even if he was there to apologize.” Raleigh grimaced as the bitter liquid went down hard. “I really don't want to be in front of my superiors again, explaining why one of the cadets is sleeping in my chair after I accidentally broke his collarbone.”

Herc snorted and started to peel the label off of his bottle, his dark blue eyes focused on his inane task and leaving a long silence to fall between them as he did.

“He...he actually really looked up to you and your sister.” Herc commented softly, making Raleigh's head shoot up in surprise.

Herc nodded. “He always kept track of you and Gipsy. Your kills, your record. Him and Mako. But when Knifehead happened, he just stopped talking about it. I didn't even know you were his instructor until this all happened.”

Raleigh felt her mouth go dry and she knocked back the rest of her lager in a long and painful gulp. Damned if she could get away from her past, since it didn't feel like it would ever leaver her.

“Yeah, well...He was betting on a lame horse. Thanks for the beer and everything. I have to-”

“It wasn't your fault, Becket. Jaz knew what she was doing every time she climbed in the pod. We all do. Don't let it overshadow the fact that you brought down that Kaiju and kept the coast safe for awhile longer yet.”

Raleigh put the beer down and clenched and unclenched her hands. Herc was right, but she wasn't in the mood to hear it. He still had his brother to pilot with. He still had Lucky Seven.

Jaz was dead and Gipsy was going to be scrap as far as she knew. She only had Yancy and this job and she was going to do everything in her power to keep both of them secure. Her deeds were ash in the light of the present.

“Yeah, well. My sister's still dead. My Jaeger is scrapped. I only have my brother. It's all done now. Again, thanks for everything-”

“When are you going to forgive yourself, Becket?”

Raleigh shook her head and got to her feet.

“Don't ask questions that you can't answer either, Ranger. Now I really have to go.”

She was going to walk out of his office, but he grabbed her arm and forced her to look up at him.

“When Chuck was fourteen.”

She blinked at him, clearly confused by his reply.

“You asked when I forgave myself. There's your answer. Let me know when you do it.”

Raleigh wanted to sneer and pull her arm away, but it was then she was fully aware of how close she was standing to Herc and how good he smelled and how much he had done for her and Yancy at the hospital. He had been a constant in their lives ever since Jaz had left it and despite the strict protocols they had to follow, there was mutual respect and even some kind of fondness there. She was wound up, she realized that. Just like he was too. Despite everything, Chuck was his only son and he did care, despite all of the duties that kept him away from Chuck. Coupled with the physical closeness, Raleigh was damned well aware of him. Too aware. It was also then that her body had decided she hadn't had sex since that last night in Anchorage.

Herc was utterly aware of it all, since his eyes widened and his body moved closer. So much closer that she could smell his aftershave and the spicy musk of his natural scent. He inhaled sharply and she was sure he could smell the scent of her herbal soap and perfume. He was so close she could feel the heat of his body as they stood there.

She could have walked away then and then gone back to acting as if there was nothing there between them. But that ship had sailed long ago. She suspected that it would have always come to this. Chuck's accident had just pushed it into the realms of possibilities rather than probabilities.

“This is a pretty bad idea, Hansen.” She whispered as her eyes focused on his lips, which were still damp from the beer he had drunk.

“Probably. You still-”

“Shut up and kiss me before I change my mind.”

~*~*~*~*

He did. He kissed hard and sloppy and with brutal efficiency, both were naked and sprawled on the couch that he kept in his office when he was working late. It was comfortable enough of a surface for them and Herc didn't waste time sliding down her body to get his head between her legs. He hadn't tasted a woman in years and the sharp, musky citrus scent of her was going straight to his dick. He looked at her only briefly, enjoying the heavy-lidded look of lust she gave him before he bent to his task. He parted her lips with his tongue, being careful to lick slowly and with short strokes of her tongue to make her shudder and open herself up to him.

Something she did soon enough, her legs falling open widely and giving him more access to that hidden place that was getting hotter and wetter. He could taste her as he licked her. Just hints of musk and lemon, but they were there. He thrust into her, getting that thick taste all over his tongue and making her give out a sharp, short cry. Her hips jerked up and his tongue went in deeper, then flat against her. He kissed her and moved his mouth to press a kiss on the tight little nub that made her jerk and give a muffled shout.

Her skin was hot and she was breathing in ragged pants as he licked it with the tip of tongue, once, twice until her leg kicked out and her juices burst out of her, flooding his mouth with her sour and tangy taste. He licked his mouth clean as he moved up her body again, capturing her mouth with his in a deep kiss that had them breaking it off breathlessly. As her chest moved with her breathing, Herc reached down between their bodies and slowly slid a finger inside of her.

Raleigh's lips parted and her breathing quickened to short pants as he moved it inside, crooking it to touch that spot that made her moan, He moved it faster, in and out until she was bucking her hips and it was slippery again. He slid another finger in, curling both to stroke the rough patch inside and making her squeak. It was when her fingers curled around his biceps and dug in that he knew it was time to stop teasing her.

He pulled his fingers out and positioned himself between her legs, looking into her hazy blue eyes as he thrust in, sliding in as if he was moving through water. Her eyes widened and went even hazier when he pulled out and thrust into her. At the second thrust, she canted her hips to meet him and he went in deeper than he had ever expected. He had to close his eyes and pause when he drove himself deep and almost to the root inside her body. She was tight, so damned tight and Herc had to wonder how long it had been for her.

He knew how long it had been for him and he was like a starving man at a feast. He couldn't get enough of her, lying soft and pliant under him, moving against him in a tandem rhythm. Her hands tightened around his arms as they braced him against the bed, his muscles rippling as he moved. She was smiling, a sot lipped smile that was gone when she lifted her head to kiss him. Sloppy and hard and encouraging him to go faster, harder, deeper. All unspoken commands that he obeyed.

Sweat slicked their bodies and she was sliding across the surface of the couch as he slammed into her, making her cry out. Her soft, quiet cries spurred him on to go harder and faster and he was already feeling his sac tighten as he got ready to blow his load.

She came first though, overly sensitized as she was and he came, his vision exploded in a haze of colour, as he spilled deep into her and collapsing on top of her. His breath hot against her neck, her arms warm and safe as she cradled him against her, their hearts thudding rapidly in their chests as they rode the high into the afterglow right after.

He kissed her sweaty temple and she found herself letting out a small sigh of contentment and happiness. She hadn't felt that way in ages. Probably not since she had been seventeen and realizing that her dad had left them and she and Jaz had to do something for Yancy and fast. It was just a moment. A stolen moment, but it was enough.

Herc pushed her hair off to the side of her neck and kissed the soft skin there, tasting the saltiness of it as his mouth pressed down. He sucked on her skin, tasting it in order to not forget it. He didn't know if she'd avoid him come tomorrow. Or if they would lose and the Kaiju would destroy them. He wanted to make this last before the war took it all away from them.

“What are you doing?” She murmured sleepily, snuggling deeper into his arms and making a small sound of pleasure as she did.

“Committing how you taste to memory, since I'm guessing you have to go.”

She laughed a low, husky laugh and shook her head.

“No. I told Yancy I'd be late and I'm not on until the afternoon tomorrow. You?”

“Nothing. I got the day off to get Chuck once he gets released from medical.”

“Then I'll stay. For as long as I can.”

Herc swallowed hard. “I'd like that.”

She yawned before turning her head to look at him.

“I'd like it too. Just like I'd like to do it again.”

Herc swallowed hard before he replied.

“Same here. And again in another day.”

She smiled, all sleepiness gone from her eyes.

“You sure?”

Herc nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

“Yeah, me too. Come on. I'd rather do this on the bed.”

Herc laughed, all tension gone from him at her words.

“Sure. Let's go.”

END.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Scott Hansen in my mind looks like Michael Fassbender, while Jaz Beckett is Katee Sackhoff and Raleigh is Katheryn Winnick from Vikings.


End file.
